Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) unit chief Monirul Islam on Sunday said they would submit the charge sheet in the much-talked-about Gulshan attack case within this month.

He told this to journalists at Dhaka Metropolitan Police Media Centre, while giving updates on cases filed over a recent spate of terrorist attacks in the country.

“The probe into the Gulshan attack is in the final stage. It takes time as there was some confusion over some of the accused, including Basharuzzaman alias Chocolate and Chhoto Mizan, who were initially thought to be on the run. But, we later came to know that they had died during an anti-militant drive in Chapainawabganj,” Monirul said.

Two other accused – Tamim Ahmed and Sarwar Jahan, who played a vital role in carrying out the barbaric attack – were also killed in different anti-militancy raids conducted in the aftermath of the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan on July 1 last year, which left over 20 people killed.

Monirul also said law enforces arrested several militants who were allegedly involved in the attack, and some of them gave confessional statements to the courts concerned. “In a primary investigation, the names of four absconding militants surfaced. They are Hadisur Rahman Sagor, Ripon, Khalid, and Akram Hossain Khan Niloy.

“Akram provided necessary financial assistance to Saiful, who died in a suicidal blast during an anti-militant drive at Hotel Olio International on Panthapath on August 15, to execute their pre-meditated subversive activities.”

The CTTC chief said: “If we can arrest them, we will incorporate their names in the charge sheet; otherwise we will still submit the charge sheet within this month listing them as fugitives.”

Asked about the militants’ motives behind such attacks, he said they are carrying out terrorist attacks to draw the Islamic State’s attention.

He, however, added that investigators did not have any evidence of the IS being involved in the terrorists attacks in Bangladesh.

Terrorists, Jamaat have similar goals

The official said the objective of those who carry out such attacks is to establish Sharia law (Islamic law) in the country.

“A few years ago, we saw several political parties were desperate for the same purpose. And it was clearly evident in their writing on the walls that they do not want our constitution; rather, they want the country to be ruled according to the Sharia law.”

He said: “The distinction between the objectives of terrorist groups and Jamaat-e-Islami is that the former want to achieve their goal by participating in jihads [armed struggles], and the latter follows a little bit different strategy; they try to meet their purpose through politics and by participating in elections.”

Charge sheet submission in Avijit murder case

CTTC chief Monirul said they would be able to submit the charge sheet in a case filed over the murder of writer and blogger Avijit Roy on or before February 26.

The law enforcers arrested four of the accused, and three of them gave confessional statements to the court concerned, he added.

Avijit, founder of Mukto-Mona blog, was hacked to death, and his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya was injured by assailants on the Dhaka University campus on February 26, 2015, when they were returning home from Ekushey Book Fair at Bangla Academy.